Only a Half
by knirbenrots
Summary: NCIS-LA Magazine challenge based on the episode 'Purity' 4.20 What happened during those two hours? a one-shot Callen's Corner Challenge


NCIS-LA Magazine challenge || based on the episode 'Purity' 4.20 || What happened during those two hours? || a one-shot || Callen's Corner Challenge

Not my episode, it was all Joe Sach's! However, I'm grateful to be adjust and adapt, just a little…

* * *

**Only a half**

He had not expected this. Had Sam been right? Had he taken too many risks lately? No, he thought. He had not been careless, not now. This was a matter of bad luck.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

It was true, the team had been running out of time. But they had made a risk analysis and all of them, including Sam ánd Hetty, had agreed on this plan. The only thing nobody liked was the fact that the two of them would have to split up to make it work.

As ever, Callen was able to quickly work his way into files and backgrounds and with the help of Nell and Eric, he managed to scroll through all the ideas of 'Designing a New America'. His cover was not to be blown, he was confident about it and so were the rest of the team.

From a short distance, Hetty observed the team leader. He would make a great actor, she thought. She softly chuckled: he had the looks, but was completely unaware of that. No, his talent went deeper: he did not play a role, he was able to let anybody believe that he was who he said he was. In the field work, he was a legend that was seen but always stayed unknown.

Although Hetty Lange thought she knew all there was to know and understand about G. Callen, he remained a mystery.  
He had barely survived a car crash and this was the third case after he had been cleared for field work again. Physically he should be alright. Emotionally however, it was clear that he was still struggling with what happened. It worried her and she wished Nate was around for advice.

Callen was unaware of the thoughts of the tiny little office manager. Determined as he was to prevent large parts of the City of Angels from being poisoned by cyanide, special agent G. Callen would disappear and Gary would be mixing in a small demonstration, making his point clear and trying to gain trust of the leaders of the DNA.  
Once he was ready for his next move, he left the ops, asking Eric to get Sam on the phone.

"Mr. Callen, a word please?"

"Hetty, please, not now. We have to work fast to get this done."

"Oh, don't expect any long speeches dear boy. I just want you to take care. And just in case, take this with you". She handed him a syringe. "It's an antidote against cyanide poisoning, called Hydroxocobalamin".

"Come on Hetty. You know I hate needles. Besides, where should I hide this giant syringe? "

Hetty smiled mildly. "I gather you never made a real study of your jacket Mr. Callen. Now sit down and I tell you."

"Hetty, please. Sam will be here in a minute and we have to hurry now". His pleading did not help. Hetty showed him how the board of his leather jacket had a small but unnoticed extra compartment. She carefully clipped in the syringe.  
"Of course I reckon you will not need it. But one can never be careless, can we, Mr. Callen?"

"As if I ever am", he muttered. "Sam will have my back, won't he?"

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

The whole operation went smoothly in fact, notwithstanding the short drive during which he had to be blindfolded. All would have worked out fine if he had not ran into Dominic Fryman. Fryman, who immediately recognized him from earlier that day when Sam and Callen paid him a visit to find out more about the death of his former colleagues. At that point, there had been no reason to suspect him of any crimes.  
How wrong had they been? It had been Fryman all the time and now that he had been made, Callen knew there was no quick escape.

He watched in disgust how Fryman mixed the powder with a glass of water.

"It's an agree to disagree, special agent Callen". It sounded nearly kind when Fryman held the glass in front of him, offering him to drink it.  
As if there was any choice. Although Callen never feared getting killed in action, he had no death wish and the choice between a bullet and the poison was less difficult than he thought.  
He accepted the glass and quickly emptied it.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

They pushed him inside this small stockroom and locked the door. In matter of seconds his vision blurred and he got nauseous. He got up to get the syringe from his jacket, but immediately fell down again as his world started spinning.  
Callen realized he needed to stay calm and keep his breathing in control. Nobody had warned him that the cyanide would work this devastating fast. His fingers felt like rubber when he tried to clip loose the compartment in the board of his jacket.  
He finally managed and without any hesitations, he injected the antidote. Before he could finish, dizziness took over and his mind and body stopped working together. G. Callen was out, completely out.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Oh, she should have been sharper, Hetty thought. Why had she taken the time to explain about the antidote but forgot to provide him with one of the smaller camera's on his shirt? Now they had to wait if Callen had taken some pictures with his cell phone to catch prove at the location.  
It seemed to be something so unimportant, but it might prove to be a large mistake. And mistakes in this line of work could prove to be lethal…  
Maybe it was about time for her to retire, Hetty Lange thought.

She had shooed the team out to find Callen. The GPS of his cell phone was easy to locate and his team should find him quickly enough so they could plan something new.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

The small cantina was empty, except from some glasses and used cups. -'Clear'- Sam heard his team mates from the warehouse.  
Another door, nobody around. Quietly, he moved through the office. Another door. Seeing this one was locked, Sam approached it, more concerned than before about what he would find. His gun at the ready, he kicked in the door.

"G!" Sam was relieved to see his partner, laying on the ground, leaning on a metal shelf. Next to his partner was a syringe.  
Weak, so 'not-him', Callen tried with a "What the hell took you so long?"

He knew his partner so well and he could see that Callen still wanted to be in control, not to show his weakness, but this time he failed completely.  
Sam looked at his partner and sent him a smile. "You used the Hydroxyo- C."

"Worked like a charm." Callen said, still trying to sound upbeat. He felt terrible, definitely worse than during the first few minutes befóre he took the antidote.

"You ready to go now", Sam asked, worried about his clearly very sick partner.

"Sam? I—" Callen wanted to tell something was wrong, but before he could, he was out. All color had left his face and his breathing was uneven.

-"Kensi, Deeks, found him!"-

Sam started yelling. "G. C'mon man, you should be alright." There was no reaction from his younger team leader.

-"Eric, we need medics in here!"-

Sam turned his partner a bit upright and to his left side, noticing the soft moans and the uncontrollable urge to vomit.  
Their junior partners entered the small room.

"Callen!" Kensi exclaimed, not expecting to see the team leader like this.

"He knew how to use the antidote, didn't he?" Deeks asked.

Kensi took the syringe and looked at it. "Dzjeesz…" In a swift way she plunged the needle in Callen's thigh. "He injected only half of it."  
Now the only thing they could do was wait for an ambulance to arrive. It did not take long, as the nearest hospital was only at a close three miles.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

First there was a soft buzzing from a distance but slowly Callen could distinguish their voices. They were discussing the case and he wanted to take part in it. He opened his eyes, grateful he controlled his own body again.

"What about the spoon Eric?" He heard Sam ask. "You're telling me G should have had a double dosis of the Hydroxy-stuff?"

"No way. How the hell did he survive? How comes Callen always ends up looking like some kind of Superman?" Deeks asked, more or less to himself.

The snorts of Kensi "Always thought he looked like that boy in Batman."

"Don't mock me Kensi" he managed to say.

"Callen! You're back with us!" She sent a grateful smile at him.

"He should. Crap, Callen, you're a living example of waking the dead. How does that sound?" Deeks chattered. "Be happy you were not around when they plunged all those needles into your body".

Callen managed to get upright. "What are you guys still doing here? We should stop Fryman and his partners of the DNA".

"Sure you feel okay partner?" Sam asked.

"Ready as ever," he said, sounding convincing and not looking his partner in the eyes. They did not need to know how he felt. The only thing that counted was to get back to the OSP.

Sure, he could fool Kensi and Deeks, Sam thought. But not him. G. Callen was far from okay, but too stubborn to stay hospitalized.  
"You two, go, we'll follow as soon as Callen has checked out," Sam ordered Kensi and Deeks.

"Thanks Sam," he said once the others had left, knowing he did not have to pretend anymore.

"Sure you're up to this, G?" Sam asked.

"Nearly. I think I'll be ready once we're back at the office". He made it to the car, only with the support of the strong arms of Sam Hanna. The uncomfortable feeling that he did not really control his limbs, the nausea and headache did not leave however.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

Not welcoming the new dizziness, Callen flopped down on the couch, closing his eyes. He just needed a while to adjust, that would be all, he thought.

"Mr. Callen. There you are. Your team awaits you."

"Hetty, please," he croaked, opening his eyes again.

"If you're not up to it, dear boy, than stay. In this line of work we can't afford to make any mistakes. And believe me, I want you and your team back in one piece". She needed him to feel confident again and this was her way to push him the right way.

"I'll be there, and make it back in one piece Hetty. And be sure, I'll guide the others through too," he said as he hoisted himself up to join the others in the armory.

-That's my boy. Only a half Callen; even on half power he'll make it- Hetty figured G. Callen, team leader, was really the best she ever saw. If only he were less stubborn, vulnerable and stand-offish. He needed to know that she, ánd the team, needed him.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

"What's the status?" Callen wanted to know, fearing that he missed something. The four of them were cleaning their weapons, readying for what was to come.

"Ops is monitoring all water sensors and access points to underground utilities. And GWP is ready to cut off the water supply at a moment's notice." Sam said.

Deeks added to that "We've got local law enforcement and Kaleidoscope looking for 'em. Eventually they're going to have to show themselves."

Callen was concentrating more on his moves than he was doing on the words of his co-workers, desperately trying to control the shaking of his hands. Still, he could not prevent that he dropped the clip and a bullet rolled out. He reached and caught it, taking a frustrated breath. He felt they were all watching him, which made him nervous.

"Callen, you sure you don't want to guide us from Ops?" Kensi asked.

"I'm fine," he sighed, careful to not making eye contact, afraid the opposite might prove. Still, he felt the concerned glance of Sam.

Deeks smirked "Yeah? 'Cause a couple of hours ago you could barely move."

That did it. He glared at Deeks. "You want to arm wrestle?" he smirked, suddenly feeling stronger and confident.

"Fair enough," Deeks smiled.

Callen was back, definitely.

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_**Just gave it a shot. Thanks for reading! **_


End file.
